Speaking of lawns, it's getting back to the time of year when they need to be cut regularly. I gave mine a light cut last Saturday week I thought that would give a good break until the next cut but I think that it's grown a little since then. March was used to be the month for the first cut of the year in the past and it wasn't as though I didn't have a late cut last year either - my last cut was some time in November. Grass cutting is a real chore for me - 2 to 3 hours depending on moisture. And it really needs to be done fortnightly for much of the summer to keep on top of it.

One for the Edward Thomas/ Richard Mabey collection.

Broad beans, early potatoes, garlic all in. Peas next. In the potting shed, turnip and tomato seeds sown. Chillies and dill next.

Garlic in one tub. More to go in another .   Herbs have survived so far and do not need replacing. Daffodils are being enjoyed. Marigold seeds will go in trays this week. Like the Calendulas....

Mini orchard given a tidy this morning. Leaf buds are appearing.  All survived the winter.   Got some new strawberry plants and sheltering them in the growing room now I have taken the odds and ends out that were stored for the winter......

General tidy up yesterday. Cut off some long grass and shrubby bits with the hand held battery cutters. Got rid of some twigs and old leaves.

Raspberry canes are showing signs of shoots. The lilies are putting forth growth as well.   

The garden is a riot! The woodland bank is festooned with white & yellow celandines, oxlips, pulmonaria; the waterside plants are coming to life- fritillaries are blooming, ladies smock (cuckoo flower / milkmaid) is budding, ragged robin has overwintered well and spread widely; the fruit plants are looking healthy. Peas, broad beans, garlic, rocket, early spuds and red cabbage are up & doing well and I'm scanning the beds for the asparagus. A bountiful March thus far.

The new strawberry plants are ready to go in the raspberry planter where the lillies are sprouting well. My Calendulas have sprouted and hope the cosmos do just as well. Shall be looking to the runner beans very soon. Meanwhile the dandelions are growing well....

Eco disaster for roses or not?.
I discovered after a week off,that someone inadvertantly sprayed the roses at my place of work with bleach,thinking it was Rose Clear.
Some clown put bleach in an empty bottle without labelling and left it in the shed.
I came back and noticed quite a lot of damage to the bushes varying from 20 to 70 percent..Curled half dead leaves,some dead.thought it was disease until I noticed it was cross species,location, damage and started asking questions.Damage everywhere.
I thoroughly flushed all bushes with water today..about 40.

Any further suggestions.

Looked up some stuff but can't locate a definite solution.

IT WAS PURE BLEACH .BTW.

Any tips would be appriceated.

I was thinking of re pruning?.

Don't panic Tony. There'll probably be some die-back of leaves- some 'burning' maybe- look out for curling and blackening. But unless the roots are bleached, your roses should be OK. Water the root well.

On a brighter note , this unusual late winter/ early spring has led to some unexpected overwintering. My tarragon died right back and is up again, pungent as ever; last year it was over-wintering physalis that amazed us- produced new lanterns as well.

Cheers Bert.
Another good watering/splashing tomorrow.
I'm bloody sick.

Carefully pruned every one of them this year and they where triving with some starting to bud.

Luckily for the offender, Tony, you're the sort that forgives.  But you might just want to do a bit of teaching there somewhere!

Human factors training.

Worked in aviation for 30 years before this job expecting it to be stress free.We had a sensible friendly discussion about labelling after the fact.It's as well the person spraying didn't end up with skin or eye damage.

She did notice some white spots on her trousers after spraying and thought to herself she would never use rose clear again as it seemed so strong having that affect.....I'm not joking.

Oh heck Tony!   Bertie's advice is sound and I have nothing to add. If they've been sprayed there shouldn't be too much in the soil. A good job the bleach wasn't mistaken for weed killer and watered in. But keep watering the soil to dilute any bleach and that above ground will take care of itself. I'm sure they'll recover. Roses are very robust. Keep us posted!

I don't think the damage could be systemic, so hopefully things might work out.
Some pruning might work out to help prevent die back from some of the parts that are damaged.
Will let you know about any improvements,hopefully soon.

An interesting situation.

Tony, it sounds like you have it in hand with your common sense approach.  Additional pruning certainly won't hurt and cutting out any obvious damage will add to the aesthetics.  Providing the roots are intact, you'll probably find the bushes do better than ever.  In my opinion under pruning is a fault of many gardeners. 

I worked on a horticultural farm and during general pruning my colleagues would tease saying I was like a hairdresser who didn't know when to stop. But the foreman always said that come summer he could tell the ones I'd pruned because they were the strongest and best shaped. 

I still go mad with a pair of secetuers in my hand. 

Been potting around today. That is because the back is just patio slabs. Transplanted an Azalea along with a freshly purchased French  Lavender .  Compost placed in large tubs and taking a chance by planting Runner Beans.. They can go in the shed with some bubble wrap over if the weather does look like frost is going to be about. Need to purchase more compost next week......  

Good stuff Art.
Can't beat a patio with some lovely potted plants.
They make such a difference.

Just be sure you don't trip over any in the dark when you're out mooning.

Back on topic.  I tend to re-use old compost in pots, providing it isn't infested, and add to it some slow release fertilizer, then I just top dress with new stuff.  Saves money and the hassle of lugging around heavy compost bags.   

So when to buy bedding plants? MetO MRF (see media thread) suggesting frosts at end of April, and the ground here is really dry, neither feature good for planting out.

But if I leave it too long, there won't be any choice of bedding left!

Why not moisten the ground this week, then plant them quickly to give them a few days to settle in; then use fleece strips across them at sunset when the chilly nights arrive (if the models have got it right)?

Gardeners generally say not to plant out bedding until the end of May when there's little chance of frosts. However, I do break that rule most years by a couple of weeks but it depends on what part of the UK you live in anyway.  I usually do my baskets up on 1st May and protect them at night if the forecast is cold. 

What's on sale in supermarkets isn't an indicator of when they can be planted out and I think they get earlier with their sales of bedding plants, which is fine if you can protect them from frosts. Or maybe they get them on sale early so they can sell you another lot when the first lot die of frost damage.  I would keep an eye on what your local garden centre has for sale although they are generally much less expensive in supermarkets.